Process of making plunger-cups.



R. CONRADER.

PROCESS OF MAKING PLUNGER CUPS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT- 26. I916.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Summer menace.

PROCESS MAKING PLUNGER-CUPS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. is, rare.

Application flled October 28, 1916. Serial No. 127,971.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH CoNnAonn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Erie, in the county of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in .Process of Making Plunger-Cups, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to plunger cups and the method of making the same and consists in certain improvements therein as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the' claims.

While theinvention has peculiar advantages as applied to cups, in its broader aspects it includes the treatment of leather for general purposes as a subprocess under the general process in the forming of cups. Further the material may in its broader phases have other utility thanin connection with cups but when used for plunger cups, especially for Artesian wells it has peculiar advantages.

The article is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows Figure 1 shows a central section through the cup.

Fig. 2 a plan view of the same.

In forming these cups disks of leather are cut. These are moistened and shaped to form under a press. This is the ordinary method of forming'such cups and-usually the cup is subjected to no further treatment.

I have discovered that by the treatment of leather its elasticity and life may be ve much increased especially in connection wi cups and in carrying out my process Iv fill the pores of the leather with linseed oil, preferably raw linseed oil and permit the linseed oil to dry.

In accomplishing this purpose I take the formed cups and submerge the cups in linseed oil in a closed receptacle. I then exhaust the air from the receptacle and, reduce the pressure in the receptacle to a point below atmosphere, prefera 1y to as low a pressure as is practicable under commercial conditions, that is to say, reduce the pressure in the receptacle to as near a vacuum as is practicable. I permit the material to remain in the receptacle, under these conditions, for a period of time depending somewhat on temperature and condition of the leather but usually about two hours.

This reduction of pressure in the receptacle permits the air retained in the pores of the leather to expand and it does expand and passes to the surface of-the liquid and is there exhausted with the air from the receptacle. The pores are, therefore, practically emptied by this process, the air, taking out with it the moisture which is in the leather. In order to facilitate the removal of the moisture the oil is preferably heated, thus heating the submerged articles. This not only expels the moisture which is in the pores but also tends to expand the air which Is in the pores and thus facilitates the emptying of the pores of the leather.

After the cups have been thus submitted to the vacuum for the period suggested, pres-- sure is put on the receptacle. This is accomplished by simply reversing the connection tothe compressor by which the air has been exhausted from the receptacle. When this is done the compressor will discharge into the receptacle and create a pressure above atmosphere. In practice I ordinarily carry this pressure to one hundred pounds and maintain this pressure for a period of time, preferably several hours. This pressure forces the oil into the pores of the leather and fully fills these pores with linseed oil. v

The cups are then removed and the linseed oil permitted to dry. This involves, if only natural temperatures are utilized, quite a long period, preferably several months.

The material so treated is very valuable for many purposes but peculiarly valuable for cups and while the material is apparently as soft and pliable as before treatment the leather has an elasticity by reason of which the cup will retain its shape indefinitely. Furthermore the cup is not affected either by water or by mineral oils. Where such cups are used for oil wells and the ordinary leather cup is subjected alternately to oil and water it is very seriously afi'ected and gives more or less trouble. With this cup this difficulty is entirely obviated because neither of these materials apparently affect a on so treated. Furthermore the wearing qua ity of the material is very much enhanced. The material is also rendered practically water-proof.

What I claim, as new is: I

1. The rocess of treating leather, which consists in immersing the leather in a liquid and heating the same and then removing the fluid content from the leather by subjecting it so immersed and heated to a pressure below atmosphere and then filling the pores of the leather by subjecting it while still immersed to pressure.

3. The process of treating leather, which consists in immersing the leather in a liquid and heating the same and then removing form, subj ectin the fluid content from the leather by subjecting it so immersed and heated to a pressure below atmosphere and then filling the pores of the leather by subjecting it while still immersed to pressure above atmosphere.

4. The process of forming a leather cup which consists in shaping the leather to the same to heat and exhausting the fluld content from the leather after it is so formed, and filling the voids messes formed by the exhaustion of said fluid content with a liquid filler.

5. The process of forming aleather cup which consists in shaping the leather to form, immersing the cup so formed in a liquid filler and heating the same, then removing thefluid content from the leather of the cup so formed while subjecting it so immersed and heated to a ressure below atmosphere, and then filllng the voids formed by, the exhaustion of said fluid with a filler.

6. The process of forming a leather cup which consists in shaping the leather to form, immersing the cup so formed in a liquid filler and heating the same, then removing'the fluid content from the leather of the cup so formed while subjecting it so immersed and heated to a pressure below atmosphere, and then filling the voids formed by the exhaustion of said fluid with a filler by exerting pressure on the liquid While the cup is still immersed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set in hand.

nnnonrrr CONRADER. 

